6 Ways to Optimal Wedding Day Health

May 29, 2019

The last thing a bride wants on her wedding day is to feel sluggish, look puffy and appear stressed. Here are a few simple ways to make sure you are at optimal health on your big day:

Make a lifestyle change. Often an engagement signifies renewal for a bride and groom, and many focus on changing their diet and exercise routines. Easy adjustments such as drinking more water or even parking the car further away for extra steps can make a significant difference.

“Getting married is about starting a new life with your partner. Think about how you’d like to share meals together and stay healthy as a couple,” says Merritt Tracy, certified health coach and co-owner of Namaste Green.

Take mom’s advice. This is the time when mother may know best. Eat your veggies, stay hydrated, laugh it off and play outside. When you take care of yourself by going to bed early, staying connected with friends and family and following a healthy routine, it is easier to cope with the decisions that come with planning a wedding.

Save sugar for the celebration. No one wants to miss out on their cake-cutting photo op, but consuming a little less sugar the months before can be beneficial. Eliminating sodas, sports drinks, fruit juices, pastries, fruit bars and yogurts will curb the need for sugar each day. Less sugar can reduce inflammation, speed up weight loss and help with overall long-term health issues, Tracy says.

Bride Stretching

Doing a Yoga Pose

Match exercise to your needs. If you were not a cyclist before your fiancé proposed, you will not magically become one afterward. Think about what is important to you and find the best way to tackle it through exercise. If you want to show off toned arms in your sleeveless wedding gown, then focus on strength training. Feel the need to reduce your stress level? Then practice yoga, paddle board on a river or take long walks with your dog.

Save the night before the wedding for self-care. Avoid taking sleeping pills and drinking alcohol the evening before the wedding. Catch up with friends early and plan a relaxing activity such as a bubble bath or massage that will lead to good sleep. Tracy recommends not trying an unfamiliar sleep aid or essential oil that could have an adverse reaction.

Stay in the moment. Practice mindfulness. Choose one thing to focus on, rather than the thousand other things going on around you.“A simple breathing technique can help manage the stress of the moment,” Tracy says. “It can be inhaling through the nose and a long exhale through the mouth.”

Vanessa Infanzon is a freelance writer based in Charlotte, NC. She writes about travel, art, business, parenting and weddings. Follow her on Instagram.